I'm a Fighter, Not a Lover
by kickingbutt
Summary: Ryoma Echizen practices kyokushin karate, a branch of karate in which the practitioner never retreats. He joins Seishun High's martial arts club upon request of their manager, Sakuno Ryuzaki, a girl painfully in love with someone else. [AU RyoSaku] Disclaimer: I wish Prince of Tennis was mine, but unfortunately, it isn't.
1. Chapter 1

The door to the Echizen family dojo was often left slightly ajar to invite the cool morning breeze in. Slivers of pale golden light dancing around decorated the wooden walls. Glistening drops of sweat plopped onto the soft mat as loud thuds were heard.

"Ryoma," came the soft call as Nanako Meino poked her head through the door, "you'll be late for your first day of high school if you don't take a shower soon." Nanako was the type of girl that could be mistaken for royalty. She had long, sleek, black hair that she could gracefully throw over her shoulder and delicate-looking porcelain skin. Despite her modest manner of dressing, something - perhaps her fluid way of moving - made her seem so incredibly elegant. However, it was the subtlety of her voice that held people, and it was what made her so hard for Ryoma to disobey.

"I'm coming," Ryoma called back to his elder cousin stopping in the middle of his form, then wiping his brow. He glanced at the portrait on the wall of the current dojo master with cool nonchalance. The man in the portrait stared tauntingly back at Ryoma with eyes that mirrored his own. Ryoma looked away, grabbed his water bottle, and left to the main house for a shower.

"Ryoma," his mother said later on at breakfast. "Are you watching the time?" It was an American-style breakfast. Ryoma hated American-style breakfasts. He knew that his mother was well aware of this fact, yet she somehow feigned ignorance.

"Yes mom," he said, rather exasperated with her already. He lethargically stuck his fork in his mouth and chewed.

"Really," she replied.

"Hn," he retorted through his mouth full of pancakes.

"Because school starts in ten minutes, and it's a fifteen-minute walk-"

Ryoma's eyes widened, and he dropped his fork on his plate.

"Gotta go, mom," he interrupted, grabbing his book bag and darting for the door. As he was about to pass the stairwell, a tanned foot suddenly came close to his face. Ryoma grabbed the foot, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and threw the figure it belonged to on the floor in front of him. The figure, clothed in a dark brown gi, rolled backwards over his shoulder into a standing position. His face was tan with scraggly black stubble, and he had brown, cat-like eyes.

"Is that all you've got, boy?" He stepped into a short stance and beckoned with his fingers for Ryoma to come closer.

"Dad, I don't have time for this right now," Ryoma nearly yelled as he ran right past the man.

"Oh come on, one little match with your old man," he called after Ryoma, who simply ignored him as he ran on.


	2. Chapter 2

There was approximately 1.15 miles between the Echizen household and school. Ryoma Echizen could run one mile in six minutes flat. He had approximately nine more minutes to get to school, so he felt that he could relax as he sprinted.

When the black gates and the large sign that read "SeishunAcademy" came into view, Ryoma breathed a sign of relief. He still had two minutes. He would make it.

As he got closer to the gates, he saw two large figures in black uniforms blocking the entrance.

Closer, and he saw a small girl with two ridiculously long pigtails wedged between them.

Closer still, and he heard them.

"Please, get off of me," whined a meek voice.

"You think you're tough, little girl," one of the boys sneered.

Ryoma began to pick up speed, running towards the gate.

"I bet you like it rough, huh," the other boy taunted, leering at the shivering girl.

A few feet from the gate, Ryoma jumped up, kicked one of the giants in the face through the gate, and continued running towards the classrooms. He didn't even look back until the other bully grabbed him by the shoulder from behind.

"Hey kid, nobody messes with Sasabe," he said angrily. "You-"

Ryoma deftly turned around and used that momentum to deliver a kick to the second boy's head as well, knocking him out cold. He looked like a senior.

Ryoma didn't notice the girl with the ridiculously long hair by his side until he reached his classroom as the bell rang.

"You," the teacher commanded, "and you." Ryoma saw the girl beside him visibly quake in fear. "You need to be in your seats when the bell rings, not in the doorway. You are late. Go stand in the hall," the teacher said, sharply enunciating every word.

Ryoma held in his groan as the teacher gestured towards the doorway, and the girl with the pigtails followed him out.


	3. Chapter 3

Her russet eyes kept darting to and from his face. Upon closer inspection, Ryoma saw why she was picked on. Her delicate, hear-shaped face, her porcelain skin, her auburn braids that were so tempting to yank, and just how thin she was - she seemed so fragile. Ryoma wondered whether or not she would break if he squeezed her tightly enough.

When she caught his eye systematically scrutinizing her, she seemed to be on the verge of saying something, but no words came out. She instead turned her gaze towards the falling cherry blossoms outside the window across the hall.

"So what's your name?" she finally got out.

"Echizen. Ryoma Echizen," he replied. He looked out the window with her.

"I'm Sakuno," she said, suddenly seeming far more comfortable now that he had spoken. "Sakuno Ryuzaki," she beamed brightly.

Ryoma grunted in response, and Sakuno leaned in closer.

"So do you do karate or tae kwon do?" she whispered.

"Huh?" Ryoma looked back her inquisitive eyes.

"That kick earlier," she said, seeming nervous again, "had really good technique."

"Karate," Ryoma replied hesitantly.

"Wow," she said, "I'm not very good at martial arts, but I love it!"

This girl was strange, very strange indeed, Ryoma thought. "Okay," Ryoma said, not really knowing what to make of the girl's enthusiasm.

"You should really sign up for martial arts club. Seishun has some really great martial artists!" Ryoma doubted it. People, too often, went to some expensive training school that taught aerobics classes, added a few powerless punches, handed out belts, and called it martial arts.

"I'm not really interested."

"Oh," Sakuno said deflated, "well, sign-ups are today after school if you change your mind, and you might get to see the upperclassmen in action."


	4. Chapter 4

At lunch, Ryoma smiled inwardly at the long anticipated moment in which he could devour the contents of his bento. He placed his lunchbox on his desk and opened it to smell the delicious waft of curry that permeated the air around him. As he was about to taste that sweet catharsis in the form of the tips of his chopsticks, he was stopped by quite possibly the most annoying voice he had ever heard.

"Hey Echizen," said the boy that had pushed his desk against Ryoma's a little too loudly. He had a unibrow and an abnormally large mouth. "You signing up for martial arts club?"

"Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Satoshi Horio, but you can call me Horio," he replied cheekily. "I'm signing up for martial arts club today after school," he went on, "but they don't let in just anyone, you know. Of course, with my two years of mixed martial arts experience, I'm a shoe-in! I really want to face off against their captain, Kunimitsu Tezuka! He's never been defeated! Maybe I can get a hit in-"

"We're joining too," exclaimed a short, smiling boy with a bowl cut, followed by a boy with a buzz cut. He placed his hands on their desks excitedly. "I'm Kachiro Kato," he said, and then gesturing to the taller boy behind him, "and this is Katsuo Mizuno."

"Satoshi Horio," said Horio. "I hear they have a really hard entrance test, and even if you pass, freshmen can't enter in any tournaments. Naturally, when they see my skills, they'll make an exception to the rule, but-"

"I've never practiced any martial arts before, but I'm signing up because I heard Ryuzaki's the manager," interrupted Katsuo dreamily.

Ryoma's ears perked up. He asked, "Sakuno Ryuzaki?"

"Who else? She's so cute," Katsuo replied, as Kachiro and Horio both nodded.

"Plus, their top eight are some of the best teen fighters in the country," Kachiro exclaimed.

Ryoma knew that he needed some new sparring partners. He knew that he had reached a standstill in his training. He knew that if wanted to beat someone, he could not keep practicing by himself. Perhaps, the club was worth taking a peek at.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys! First, I wanted to thank all of you who have been leaving reviews and supporting me.

Anyway, I just noticed that I forgot to leave a disclaimer in the first chapter, but I'm pretty sure you all know that if the Prince of Tennis belonged to me, Ryoma and Sakuno would have totally started making out in episode 24. Unfortunately, the Ponta Pair has yet to realize their hidden feelings.

Also, just an FYI, all the characters in this fic are attending Seigaku's senior high division. Sakuno, Kachiro, and Katsuo all went to Seigaku for junior high, but Ryoma and Horio did not.

So Peace

Love

Pacquiao 4 Life!

And kickingbutt out

* * *

After school, Ryoma stood uncomfortably at the end of a long line. The three boys in front of him were babbling about the new arcade a few blocks away and whether or not Tomoka Osakada stuffed her bra.

"But they're so big," Katsuo argued.

"They're real," Kachiro stated tonelessly.

"H-how d-do _you_ know?" Horio nearly yelled. He stepped back, mouth and eyes wide with bewilderment.

"There's no way! She's bigger than the seniors," Katsuo said, staring at the small boy as if he had just morphed into a three-eyed alien.

"They're real," Kachiro said again darkly, his bangs covering his eyes. Horio and Katsuo seemed to both be struggling as they searched for words. Ryoma simply ignored the teenage boys, focused on his own thoughts. He had little interest in trivial matters like games and girls.

"Ryoma," a high-pitched voice rang. A panting girl with long, auburn braids ran up to him. She bent over, placing her hands on her knees, as her back shook. She then looked up at him to reveal her brightly flushed face. Her cheeks reminded Ryoma vaguely of strawberries and cream. "I'm glad you decided to come," she huffed. Her mouth hung slightly open as she caught her breath, and the corners turned upward, indicating her clear satisfaction.

"Sakuno," cried a delighted Katsuo.

"Sakuno, I heard you were managing," said Kachiro.

"That's right," Sakuno replied happily.

"But how?" Ryoma inquired, finally deciding to speak.

"Freshmen can apply for the position early if they went to Seigaku for junior high. Plus, my grandma's the advisor," she said.

"You mean your grandmother's the legendary Coach Ryuzaki, also known as Ryuzaki the Terrible?" Horio asked, a look of horror spreading across his unibrowed face.

"She's just a math teacher," Sakuno laughed good-naturedly.

"Hey Sakuno," chimed a red-haired boy in the distance, walking towards them as he waved at the crowd outside the club room. He was joined by seven other tall boys in a line, marching confidently to the front of the queue.

"That's Eiji Kikumaru," Horio whispered out the corner of his mouth as he stared, eyes wide with admiration. "He knows kung fu. In fact, he was adopted by a group of Chinese acrobats as a baby, and they made him hold a handstand every morning for at least fifteen minutes." He then looked at Sakuno and added, "Satoshi Horio by the way, two years of mixed martial arts experience." At that, Sakuno giggled. Ryoma narrowed his eyes. He cared nothing of the club members' reputations. He refused to trust any information until he saw them fight with his own eyes.

"Wow Horio, you sure know a lot," said Kachiro in awe.

"Yeah," Katsuo agreed, "and you didn't even go to Seigaku for junior high."

"I did my research, I guess," said Horio, scratching the back of his head in false modesty.

"Oh really now," said Sakuno between her continuing giggles. "Eiji's parents are dentists. He used to spend summers in China because his uncle lives there," she laughed again, "although the part about the handstands is true."

"So what about the other top members?" Katsuo asked.

"Well, Kawamura, on the far left, does kendo. To his right, Fuji practices aikido. Captain Tezuka, in the middle, practices aikido too. On his left, Vice-Captain Oishi does judo. On Tezuka's right, Inui, the one with the glasses, does ninjutsu-"

"Ninjutsu?" Katsuo cried in disbelief.

"That's right. To his right, Kaido does tae kwon do. The one arguing with him - Momo - he does karate, just like you, Ryoma," she finished. The boys then turned their eyes on their silent companion in surprise. Then, the upperclassmen were upon them.

"Sakuno," said the one with the spiky hair named Momo, "you look so cute in your high school uniform." He ruffled her hair and laughed.

"Momo, stop teasing her," Oishi lightly scolded.

"So freshmen," Momo continued, placing his long arms around their shoulders and forcing them down into a huddle, "you ready for some fun?" Horio, Katsuo, and Kachiro glanced at each other shyly while mumbling. Ryoma smirked. This was what he had been waiting for.

"Yeah," he said, staring straight into Momo's violet eyes.

Momo smirked back. "Getting cocky there freshie. You still have to pass the entrance test, you know," he said and winked.


	6. Chapter 6

"Alright everyone," said the one Sakuno had pointed out as Oishi in a loud but gentle voice. He stepped on top of a chair at the front of the line, just outside the clubroom door. "Before we can all enter the clubroom for sign-ups, we have a simple entrance test for you all," he finished with a smile. He seemed fairly normal, except for his strange hairdo. It was sort of slicked back on top and buzzed on the sides. There were two greasy locks falling over his forehead, looking a bit like fangs.

"They had to come up with an entrance test to keep girls from joining just for Captain Tezuka's and Fuji's good looks," Sakuno whispered to Ryoma playfully.

"Don't worry," Oishi continued to the mass of students, "the test isn't too hard. It's just thirty sit-ups and fifteen push-ups."

"That's all?" Horio asked with newfound confidence. "Ha! I could do that in my sleep."

"W-wait," said a feminine voice from the line that had now become a clump, "r-right now?!"

"Is that a problem?" asked the one named Tezuka. He was tall with sandy hair and a stern expression. He stepped out from his position leaning against the wall and uncrossed his arms. He pushed his wire-rimmed glasses farther up the bridge of his sharp nose to give the girl an icy stare.

Ryoma looked at Sakuno again. Something was different. The way she was standing was suddenly more tense and aware - like she had to consider each of her body's natural actions. She was twiddling the end of one her braids, and he was standing close enough to sense a slight rise in heat radiating from her. She was lightly chewing on her moist bottom lip, making it a rosy pink. Her small mouth opened slightly, and Ryoma felt her breath quicken.

"But we're wearing skirts," exclaimed a bolder girl from the mass of students. There were buzzes of agreement in the crowd.

"Then you should've worn shorts under your skirt like a sensible person," said a stern-looking older woman as she stepped out from the clubroom. She kept her brown hair in a tight ponytail, and she wore a purple sweat suit. She had prominent laugh lines and weary eyes. "This is martial arts club, not tea club, and I am in charge. If you want to join, you have to do thirty sit-ups and fifteen push-ups. If you don't, then leave," she declared. After some grumbling, several girls and a few boys left in frustration.

"Now," she said, her expression softening at the smaller crowd, "those of you who have decided to stay have passed the test." Ryoma heard a sigh of relief from Kachiro's direction. "However," she continued, "thirty sit-ups and fifteen push-ups are the minimum requirement to pass the boys' physical fitness examination, and you should all, girls included, be able to pass it in this club."

"Now, let's go in to the clubroom, shall we?" said Oishi.

The clubroom floor was covered in light brown matting, and a wind chime hung near the window. Wooden weapons were placed against one wall, and there was some kendo sparring equipment at its corner. Punching pads were propped up against another wall.

"This room used to belong to the karate club when the captain was a freshman," said Sakuno, seeming to have regained her lighthearted self. "But because the captain practiced aikido, and he could beat anyone in the club, it became the martial arts club. He told them that the club would be stronger if they had a lot of different styles instead of just one." Ryoma nodded in response.

"So," said Oishi once again, walking to the front of the room with a clipboard, "freshmen can work on physical conditioning for a while, and for the rest of you - we'll be having tournaments once a month, starting next month, to determine your ranking, so work hard. I'll be taking your information down now."

The one named Tezuka stepped forward again, and Ryoma heard Sakuno's breath hitch. "That'll be all for today," he said austerely.

* * *

AN: HAHAHA! I know I'm evil. Sorry, RyoSaku romance is coming soon. I promise.


	7. Chapter 7

There was a thud on the mat of the Echizen family dojo the next morning. Ryoma quickly rose from his hard fall to throw himself again over his other shoulder. He then went into a sort of crouching position with his legs at a perfect right angle. He started moving from his hips in a wave-like motion, and at the peak of the wave, he strode forward with a powerful punch at his imaginary opponent's center.

Nanjiro Echizen chose this exact moment for a surprise kick to the back of his son's head after quietly sneaking in. Ryoma turned to block, but only to find his father's big toe tap him on the forehead.

"You still have a ways to go," mocked Nanjiro. "Wanna spar, boy?"

"No, I was just leaving," Ryoma said coldly, already beginning to walk away. His father was the last person Ryoma wished to spar with at the moment - not now, not before he was ready.

"You know you'll never beat me practicing forms on your own," Nanjiro said to his son's back. Ryoma then looked over his shoulder at his smirking father.

"I'm not," Ryoma said simply, then turning back around and leaving. It was a warning.

"Then come back to helping me teach classes here, you brat! The kids miss you," Nanjiro yelled after his son's retreating figure. After he'd gone, Nanjiro smirked to himself. His son still had a long ways to go.

* * *

AN: Okay, I know I said RyoSaku moments were coming soon, and they are! This little chapter just had to be in there, and this was the only place for it. Don't worry, this is still a romance story!

On another note, I think this is the shortest chapter ever. Ever.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey Ryoma," said the girl who had recently become so attached to him. Three weeks ago, he had joined SeishunAcademy's martial arts club at her request. He had hoped it would better his chances of beating his father in a match, but so far, the freshmen had only been allowed to work on physical conditioning. At the moment, he kept his hands behind his head, doing more sit-ups. The girl sat down on her knees to hold his feet steady, pushing one of her long, cinnamon-colored braids behind her to keep it from brushing the floor.

She was not looking at him as she held his feet. Her gaze was pointed over her shoulder at the boys grappling a few feet away. Shusuke Fuji kept running in circles around Tezuka, who seemed to be hardly moving. Each circle, it seemed as though he was about to put Tezuka into a joint lock, yet each time right before the anticipated moment, Tezuka would somehow pull Fuji in and put him on the ground. Ryoma could not see why one of them did not just punch the other. He could see Sakuno's profile as she stared. He saw the way her mouth hung slightly open again, and her chest was rising and falling slightly faster.

"Ryuzaki, there's something I wanted to ask you about," he said, not breaking his rhythm, trying to steal her attention back.

"What is it?" Sakuno said, turning back to him and cocking her head to the side inquisitively. True, she had not known Ryoma long, but in class, she could tell he was not the type to ask a lot of questions, probably because he already knew the answers. Last week, their science teacher had surprised them with a quiz, and while all the other students became nervous wrecks, he remained completely cool and silent.

"I want to be in the ranking tournament next month," he said plainly.

"Th-that's not a question, Ryoma," she said, a little flustered. Ryoma really did not seem the type to ask for favors.

"Can you get me in?" he asked, coming up from his sit-up to hug his knees and look her in the eye. Mahogany met hazel.

"W-what?! I can't do that," she cried incredulously. Ryoma gave his best pleading look, and Sakuno took a deep breath. "You should talk to my grandma about this," she said.

Ryoma quickly stood up in response. He roughly grabbed her elbow to take her with him, and he began to drag her across the mat to where her grandmother stood. He stopped in front of the elder Ryuzaki and released her granddaughter's arm.

"I want to be in the ranking tournament next month," he said boldly. He stood tall and looked her straight in the eye. Sakuno nearly fainted.

Takeshi Momoshiro and Kaoru Kaido were sparring nearby when they overheard Ryoma's overreaching declaration. Momo paused in shock only to receive the greater shock of a kick to the gut.

"Pay attention," Kaido hissed.

"No thanks, Viper," Momo said, rolling his eyes and frolicking to Mrs. Ryuzaki's side.

"Well, you're forward," she said smirking at the young man who stood before her. "Wait until after winter vacation. For now, freshmen will be working on improving strength and flexibility."

"I've finished already," he stated.

"We-"

"Hey teach," Momo interrupted with a playful grin, "let me teach the kiddo a lesson." He then turned to Ryoma. "You up for a match, Echizen?"

Ryoma grinned back at him. "Sure," he said with a slight nod. Mrs. Ryuzaki sighed and shook her head. Boys would be boys.


	9. Chapter 9

Takeshi Momoshiro could already tell on the first day of school that Ryoma Echizen was a brat. Momoshiro had to wait an entire year to be allowed in ranking tournaments. The freshman, however, believed that he could walk in inexperienced and start taking on seniors. He was all attitude, but the mighty Momo would happily put him in his place.

By now, the entire club had noticed the commotion. The room, previously filled with counting, grunts, and the sounds of bodies hitting mats, had quieted. All the other club members had backed against the walls of the room. Oishi rushed over to Mrs. Ryuzaki's side with a worried expression, but she raised a hand to wave him off.

"But," Oishi said frantically, "Ryoma will be-"

"Don't jump to conclusions," said Mrs. Ryuzaki, keeping her eyes trained on the two boys in the center of the room. Then, the corner of her lip ever so slightly turned upward.

Ryoma and Momo stood a couple arms length away from each other as they both appraised their opponent. Mrs. Ryuzaki's voice instructed them to bow.

Momo assumed a fighting stance, resting on his haunches, fists up while Ryoma remained in a neutral standing position.

"You know," Momo said, drawing his fist back for a large wind-up, "I started going to this shotokan dojo on my block when I was ten." He then began to charge forward. "And I'm seventeen now," he yelled as he released the fury that had been building in his hand.

He punched through air.

Ryoma was at his side now, left open and overextended from the punch. "I saw that coming a mile away," he said as he threw a punch toward Momo's exposed oblique. Momo stumbled back a few steps to resume his stance.

"You're better than I thought," he laughed. He then beckoned at Ryoma with his forward hand. Ryoma lunged forward to punch with his right hand, and Momoshiro blocked. Ryoma quickly followed with his left hand, and Momoshiro stepped back to block again.

Takeshi knew he was stronger, but he also knew that this freshman was far too fast for him. A punch could easily knock the kid over, but there was no way he would be able to slip a punch in. Ryoma Echizen was just too fast, and he was swiftly working Momo toward the wall. He never seemed to retreat in his footwork at all, and Momo struggled to find an opening to break his rhythm.

When Momoshiro felt his back up against the wall, he heard his teacher call, "Enough!"

"That's enough for today," Mrs. Ryuzaki said. Students, save for the top eight, began filing out of the room.

Ryoma put down his raised fists and stalked over to the club advisor. "Can you put me in the ranking tournament now?" he asked.

Momo felt the strange urge to laugh. Despite his unofficial loss to a freshman in front of everyone, he was in surprisingly good spirits. The kiddo actually had some skills to back up his attitude, and Momo got to see them. He really didn't seem all that bad. When they fought, it was almost like they were playing a game, and Ryoma was a fair player.

"You can on one condition," the old woman replied. "You practice kyokushin karate, right? And your father is Nanjiro?"

Ryoma narrowed his eyes and nodded uncertainly.

"I was a student of your grandfather's, and I used to help him teach your father. I want to teach my granddaughter about our art, but I'm too old now," she explained.

Now Ryoma was interested. The old woman knew more than she let on.

"If you want to be put in the ranking matches, I want you mentor my granddaughter," she said, placing a hand on Sakuno's shoulder. Sakuno blushed.

"When?" Ryoma asked, unable to keep a slight tinge of urgency out of his normally toneless voice. He wanted to talk to this woman. She was more experienced than his father. Perhaps, he could get her to teach him some techniques his father had not learned.

"Sundays at my house for the rest of the school year. Sakuno can give you the address," she replied.

Ryoma nodded. He then turned to Sakuno. "See you on Sunday," he said politely.

"See you on Sunday," she said back. Then he was off to the locker rooms to change back from his gi back into his school uniform.

When it was just the two of them in the room, Sakuno turned to her grandmother.

"Grandma," she groaned and received maniacal laughter in response.

* * *

AN: Hey guys! So it's the last day of Thanksgiving break T_T Expect less frequent updates for the next month...

Anyway, just wanted to say I'm thankful to all of you who have stuck with this story and those of you who have been posting reviews. It really means a lot =D

Also expect RyoSaku sweetness in the next chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

Ryoma Echizen was like Siberia, a frozen desert with icy winds that pummeled its explorers. He was strangely attractive with his distant demeanor flecked with spurs of forcefulness. He greatly reminded Sakuno of a certain captain.

A week ago, she had witnessed a girl give her feelings to him in the form of baked goods. That girl became the leader of a movement. Naturally, the feminine half of her class liked him with that dark hair falling over those enticing hazel eyes.

"Sorry, I'm not interested," he'd replied. It seemed to be the response he gave every time someone bared her heart to him.

Despite his coldness, Sakuno felt familiar with him because he had saved her that first day. She knew a side of him existed that he refused to reveal to the public, and on that day, she had caught a glimpse of it. Truth be told, she couldn't help wanting to see more of it.

On Sunday morning, he wore a dark gray t-shirt and black basketball shorts. She had anxiously awaited the arrival of her guest. Upon hearing the succinct rap of knuckles on wood, she quickly stood up to smooth out her newly bought gi and answer the door.

"Ryoma," she said as if she hadn't been waiting by the door, "you're early!"

"Your house was closer than I thought," he said, expressionless as usual. He neglected to mention that he had made sure to depart his house at least a half hour earlier than he needed to. "Is there somewhere I can change?" It was then that Sakuno noticed the black sports bag hung over his shoulder with the Prince logo on it.

"Oh, of course, you can change in my room," she answered hospitably. Sakuno's room looked like it belonged to a little girl. In a way, it did. When she shut the door for him, Ryoma examined the pink walls and the toy cat resting on her yellow bedspread. On top of her wooden desk, there were three framed photographs. Two of the photographs depicted large groups of people. In one, there were several familiar faces. He recognized Katsuo, Kachiro, and several other classmates. They all wore similar uniforms to the ones they wore now, except they looked slightly smaller - probably her junior high graduating class. In the other photo, Ryoma quickly located Sakuno in the foreground. The people surrounding her ranged in age from infancy to older than the great Ryuzaki matriarch herself, all with the same auburn hair, except for the ancient ones whose stands had turned white. The last picture had only two people in it. One was clearly Sakuno, happily smiling at the camera in a summer kimono. She clung onto the arm of a tall boy with sandy hair and wire-rimmed glasses.

* * *

AN: So FINALLY some one on one RyomaSakuno interaction! Sorta... Next chapter, we'll find out more about the boy in the picture and maybe get some action. Now that school is back, I'll try and update once or twice a week. Gosh darn AP Euro. Darn it to the fiery pits of heck. At least winter break is in less than a month - YAY!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! I realized some people probably don't know what a gi is. It's the white uniform you wear in most Japanese martial arts.

So yeah...

gi = martial arts clothes


	11. Chapter 11

They were matching now, except Ryoma's gi was worn and gray from constant usage compared to Sakuno's fresh white one, and his belt was brown while hers was white. Despite growing up around avid martial artists and owning a small training hall in her backyard, Sakuno had never truly studied any fighting style.

Her grandmother had shown her a few blocks when she was small, but that was it. It wasn't until junior high that any arts actually interested her. Early in seventh grade, her friend, Tomoka, had been going on about a popular new boxing gym that taught women's self-defense classes. At the time, Sakuno had tuned out her talkative companion's chatter disinterestedly. A few months later, walking home late after preparations for the upcoming school festival, in a daze, she travelled in the opposite direction of her house. When she had tiredly bumped into three large, unfriendly-looking men, she deeply wished she had gone with Tomoka to those classes. Just as she had closed her eyes tightly in fear, she heard a deep voice challenge the men. She had opened her eyes to see the back of a tall boy with brown hair in front of her. When one of the men charged at him, the man ended up on the ground a moment later. From Sakuno's point of view, it seemed like the boy had barely touched the aggressor, as if some sort of ghostly power had fought him. All she could see was how softly the boy moved his body like water - so gentle and elegant. When the other man had grabbed on tightly to Sakuno's savior, there was a sickening sound from the boy's left arm, but soon the man had joined his partner on the pavement. The last man had drunkenly staggered backwards for a few moments before running away in fear. When the boy finally turned around to look at her down his sharp nose through oval-shaped glasses, she noticed that he was wearing the SeishunJunior High School uniform. "Walking home at night, don't let your guard down," he had said.

Sakuno hoped Ryoma would teach her some forms to impress Tomoka and her friends from the martial arts club - one in particular. Her eyes and the corners of her lips drooped in disappointment when he said, "First, you need to learn how to fall."

"Oh you don't need to teach me that, Ryoma. I fall down all the time," she said jokingly. Ryoma's pointer finger then tapped her firmly on the forehead. She stumbled back a step before tripping over her own feet and pathetically falling on her butt. She let out a soft "ouch" while rubbing her sore bottom.

"And it usually hurts, doesn't it," Ryoma said arrogantly.

"Hey, that was mean," Sakuno whined, crossing her arms and pouting.

"That's why you have to learn how to fall," he said through a confident smirk. "And just for the record," he added while kneeling down to take hold of one of Sakuno's braids, "_this_ is mean." He then roughly yanked the hair towards him, taking Sakuno with it.

"Ow," she said rubbing the left half of her scalp while the right side rested against Ryoma's chest, which rumbled in silent laughter. For a moment, she was frozen in shock at the revelation of this teasing side of her classmate, her head melded to the heat of his chest. She wanted to preserve him in this state. She wanted to keep him laughing.

"Ryoma," she said, placing a hand on each of his shoulders, "you jerk!" She playfully pushed him onto his back, caging him beneath her diminutive form, a knee on each side of his midsection.

They both laughed briefly before his melancholy greenish brown eyes met the warm reddish brown ones hovering over him. They were the same color as the redwood trees Ryoma had seen on a postcard from California once. When Sakuno was suddenly able to hear her own heartbeat, she quickly jumped off of him.

"So, back to falling," Sakuno said, somewhat shaken. Some strands of hair were definitely sticking up. For the rest of the lesson, Ryoma taught Sakuno how to fall without hurting herself and roll properly. Whenever he touched her after that to correct her movements, she felt goose bumps rise on her arms, and her stomach twisted into tight knots.

* * *

AN: CAN YOU FEEL THE TENSION?!


	12. Chapter 12

When Monday came, Ryoma was once again donning the white belt that the martial arts club required him to wear. He sat Indian-style against the wall of the clubroom, and Sakuno was sitting on her knees at his right watching intently. Today, they had the opportunity to watch the top eight demonstrate in the middle of the floor.

Tezuka was facing off with the kendoka called Kawamura. He had thick eyebrows and long, light brown sideburns. Sakuno had called him a friendly giant, but now the beast had been unleashed. Neither of them wore any sparring equipment, and Kawamura attacked the unarmed Tezuka full-on with his wooden sword.

"C'mon baby! I'm burning," Kawamura yelled, fire lighting his eyes. Most of the freshmen were looking fairly frightened, clinging to the safety of the wall.

"Taka turns into a completely different person whenever he gets a hold of that stick," Sakuno said wistfully.

"Of course, even with a weapon, he'll still lose to Tezuka," said a calculating voice to her right. Sakuno jumped and grabbed hold of Ryoma's arm.

"I-Inui, you startled me," Sakuno stuttered to the bespectacled ninja boy that had crept up beside her.

"Forgive me, Sakuno," he said, nudging up his thick rectangular glasses, "and you are Ryoma Echizen, I presume." He looked past Sakuno at Ryoma.

"Hn."

"That was a very interesting fight between you and Momoshiro last week," he said with calm intrigue. Ryoma grunted again in response. Sakuno looked between the boys on each side of her.

"Naturally, I'm sure you are aware that he was recovering from a sprained ankle that day," he said, still gazing at Ryoma. Sakuno's eyes grew wide in surprise at the new information. Ryoma ignored him and continued to focus on the match in front of him. "According to my data, there is an eighty-six percent chance that you will come in ranked at ninth place," he said before picking up a small notebook and getting up to walk to the other side of the room.

"Hey Ryoma, those are pretty good chances, especially coming from Inui," Sakuno said, turning to him and trying to fill the awkward void the upperclassman had left.

Ryoma scoffed. His eyes remained trained on the demonstration. Takashi battled aggressively, using several strong, straightforward strikes with his sword. He could hear the air being split by the wooden blade, revealing its sheer power. Tezuka, on the other hand, fought like a phantom. He deftly evaded every blow and somehow always ended up behind his opponent's back. Whenever he touched him, the contact would seem so gentle - almost a caress. Then, Taka would end up on the ground, and his weapon would slide across the floor in the opposite direction.

"Tezuka," Ryoma said frigidly, "you think he'll be number one?" Sakuno blushed. She followed Ryoma's line of vision, and her eyes softened at the sight of the captain. He hadn't broken a sweat. Ryoma glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and everything fell into place.

"W-well he-"

"You like him," Ryoma stated. He still wasn't looking at her.

"W-what?!" The pretty blushes, the longing gazes, the abnormal breathing - that was why. Sakuno Ryuzaki liked the martial arts club captain, senior Kunimitsu Tezuka. Of course, it was clear as day, but it didn't matter.

"I'm going to beat him," Ryoma said finally.

* * *

AN: Second chapter today - booyah! Hooray for weekends! Originally, this fic was only supposed to be only 3 or 4 chapters, but I have a feeling it will go on for a little over 20... And just so we're clear, I am a die-hard ponta pair shipper. I will defend this couple to the ends of the earth if I have to.


	13. Chapter 13

Sakuno concluded that the handsome Ryoma Echizen was most definitely an idiot. No, he was more than an idiot. He had a death wish. Defeating Momoshiro had been lucky. To challenge Captain Tezuka was far beyond any of the top eight - except perhaps Shusuke Fuji.

"Captain," he called, after practice was over, before Sakuno could stop him. "Can I have a match?" Sakuno felt her stomach muscles clench. Her insides twisted all around her abdomen walls and squeezed painfully. She felt like vomiting. There was no way this could all be resulting from the fact that Ryoma had guessed at her past love.

"You'll have a match in a week during the ranking tournament," he said calmly. Her abdominals loosened for a moment.

"I meant now," Ryoma said bravely - or stupidly in Sakuno's opinion. That got the captain's attention. Sakuno felt her belly squirm again, like there was a little sprite inside her, pulling at all her innards and cords. Her head suddenly felt much lighter too, like the sprite was sucking all the water out of her brain. Ryoma would not win, it whispered to her. He could not win. Tezuka was too swift, too shrewd, too strong, too smooth, and he held Sakuno's heart.

The captain looked at the unwavering younger boy before him. His hazel eyes, normally a calm mossy green, were stinging Tezuka like lemons. Ryoma had no interest in the ranking tournament or shy girls. He simply wanted a new sparring partner, and he wanted the best.

"And what will you do after you win?" Tezuka asked. Sakuno was definitely going to vomit now.

"I'll quit this club," he replied. There was no point in being in the club if there were no challenge. Sakuno quickly rushed out of the room. Practice was over, and she no longer needed to be there. Neither boy even noticed her absence.

"Very well," Tezuka said, "but I won't let my guard down."

* * *

AN: Sorry this chapter is so short... I'll try and see if I can get out some more this weekend


	14. Chapter 14

Ryoma lied on his bed, contemplating the match from earlier that afternoon, when he felt something heavy and warm on top of his midsection. His fluffy, white Himalayan cat hopped on top of his abdomen and purred. Ryoma felt a ticklish sensation as the cat attempted to Eskimo its nose close to his.

"No, Karupin, not now," Ryoma groaned, sluggishly bring an arm up to cover his scrunched face. The feline sniffed haughtily and dismounted from the bed to scurry off in search of Nanako. She would scratch the spot behind his ears.

Ryoma was not quitting the club. He had ended up on the ground just like the rest of those incompetent little boys calling themselves martial artists. He reflected on what Tezuka had said after he was utterly destroyed.

"Ryoma," he'd asked, "why do you practice the art?" Ryoma had narrowed his eyes.

"There's someone I want to beat," he had said as confidently as he could from his position at his opponent's feet.

Tezuka's stoic expression remained frozen like a block of ice. "If that is your reason, you will never improve. Think about that," he'd said. Ryoma remained silent as the heavy bricks fell on his head.

"Do well in the tournament next week," he added, leaving Ryoma for the changing rooms. Ryoma spent a few moments staring at the spot where Tezuka had previously stood before falling back on the mat to gaze at the ceiling.

Now, he was in much the same forlorn state, except on his own bed rather than the cold, sweaty floor.

_Why?_ he thought. There was nothing wrong with his motivations. Practice was practice, and fighting was fighting.

What had he done so wrong?

He had lost.

He should never have challenged the captain. The entire match, Tezuka had never even hit Ryoma. He'd danced around him and deflected all of Ryoma's hits until Ryoma was too tired to fight. Ryoma would think he was just about to deliver a blow, and then he'd be swept off his feet.

Sakuno was right. He shouldn't have challenged Tezuka. He had wanted to prove her wrong. He wanted to show her that the captain had nothing on her teacher. Ryoma suddenly longed to hold his feline friend.

"Karupin, come back," Ryoma yelled, still lying down. His room remained empty. First, Sakuno ran out the room when his match started. Now, even Karupin was ignoring him. Why had she run out anyway? Did she have diarrhea or something? Did she really not want to see her first love beaten that badly? That stupid aikidoka had thrown everything off balance.

Balance.

Of course! That was it! Ryoma abruptly sat up just as his cat began to crawl though the crack in the doorway.

Whenever Ryoma had extended himself to hit him, he had taken Ryoma's balance. Rather than meeting a rival force on force, Tezuka had drawn Ryoma's every punch in, and then he had used his challenger's own momentum to floor them.

Ryoma quickly whipped out his cell phone and dialed.

"Hey, Ryuzaki, wanna practice?"

"R-Ryoma, w-what? I have homework," came the timid voice on the other line.

"I'll help you. Just come over soon."


	15. Chapter 15

"You could have just asked me for Momo's number if he's the one you wanted to practice with," Sakuno said tentatively to the boy walking next to her. She sighed. She felt awkward, and Ryoma's oblivious silence was not helping. She was currently supposed to be guiding him to the Momoshiro residence, but she wasn't quite ready to admit that she was sure this was the third time they had passed that red mailbox.

"Are we lost?" Even after the events from earlier, he was acting like nothing had happened out of the ordinary.

"N-no," Sakuno retorted a little too quickly.

Ryoma was like Tezuka - so straightforward, more direct than she could ever hope to be. He was peering at her with those sharp hazel eyes again. Highlighted by the orange sky streaked with pink, they looked like warm honey.

Sakuno tried to escape the depths of his syrupy pools because he had a knack for making her nervous, just like the captain he had challenged. Who would do such a ludicrous thing anyway? Challenging his superior...

No, Ryoma was no common soldier. He was a spoiled brat - a prince. First, he had carelessly pinpointed the exact cause for her sensitivity to the captain. Then, he had declared that he would "beat" the older boy. Just what was she supposed to say to that? Freaking crazy.

Then Ryoma did something Kunimitsu Tezuka would never do.

He grinned.

"We are, aren't we," Ryoma said. It wasn't a question this time.

"W-w-what, n-no," Sakuno spluttered. One would think that the girl would be able to navigate the neighborhood after nearly sixteen years, but their current situation proved otherwise.

"Forget it, let's just go back to my house," Ryoma said, stepping in front of her to take the lead. Faced with the back of his head, Sakuno saw how black his hair was. In the sunset, it was tinted slightly emerald. She was watching his broad shoulders when he caught her off guard by speaking.

"So you really like Tezuka?" he asked her, without looking back to see her wide eyes.

"Y-yes," she said. "Ever since the beginning of junior high, he's always protected me." There really was no point in denying it. She had already been rejected.

"He's a little old for you, don't you think?" Sakuno couldn't see Ryoma's face as she furrowed her brows, but she could imagine him smirking.

"Not at all," she replied, wanting to wipe his smirk off.

"I see." There was silence for the rest of the walk.

* * *

AN: Uggghhh...first day of winter break, and I catch a cold. At least, there's a bright side to being bedridden. I get more time to right for you guys! :) Expect more chapters really soon!


	16. Chapter 16

The Echizen property was big and old. There was a main house, easily accessible from the street, with a traditional garden. On the tall hill behind it, at the top of an endless set of stone steps, there was a Shinto shrine adjoined to a dojo.

Ryoma had been planning to test his new theory on the tall boy with the gelled hair, but clearly, that would not be happening tonight. Naturally, he couldn't just send the girl home after he had invited her to practice and promised to help her with homework.

He stealthily made his way around the house with Ryuzaki in tow, leading her to the dojo. His father would be teaching no classes for the rest of the day, so it would be safe to bring her inside.

"Do you remember how to fall?" he asked.

Sakuno vigorously nodded her head. "I've been practicing! My grandma even said I was doing really well."

"Let's see it," he said, and she responded by falling backwards and slapping her hands against the mat.

"Now you have to learn how to block," he said, demonstrating as Sakuno attempted to copy his movements.

"You need to bend your knees more, your shoulders are too wide, your hips are wobbling all over the place, and," he didn't know what possessed him to add as he eyed her mahogany plaits, "your hair is too long."

Sakuno blanched. "The length of my hair has nothing to do with it," she shot back. Besides, it was tied.

"Try again," he said, and she obeyed. "Again," he said, lightly placing his hands on her hips to guide her. He let his hands lead her hips forward for the wind-up then back. Then, he moved one hand to her wrist to direct her blocking hand from behind her ear to twist right before it stopped above her knee. He repeated the action a few times, and Sakuno remained silent.

"Stop making sissy fists," he then said.

"Sissy fists?!"

"If you punch someone or even block like that, you'll break your fingers or your wrists. Here," he said, folding her fingers in her hand. His palms were warm as he molded her fists properly, and she felt her breathing quicken.

"So this is what you meant when you said you weren't practicing alone," said a sly voice at the door, gesturing toward their joined hands.

Ryoma stiffened. A man in monk's robes entered the practice room from the foyer.

"And what a cute girl," Ryoma's father continued. "What's your name?"

Sakuno blushed. "Um, Sakuno Ryuzaki," she said.

"Hmmm, Ryuzaki," Nanjiro mumbled, scratching his scraggly chin. "Any relation to an old hag named Sumire Ryuzaki?"

"She's my grandma," Sakuno replied.

"Well, will you be staying for dinner, Sakuno dear?" Nanjiro asked flirtatiously.

"Yes, now leave us alone," Ryoma said before Sakuno could get a word in.

"Touchy, touchy," Nanjiro scolded. Then he turned to his son's female companion. "How would you like to see the boy in a real match?"

Nanjiro's eyes were the same as Ryoma's, but darker. Something about seeing them lit up in that cunning way made her shiver.

"If I fight you, will you take it seriously then leave?" asked a very annoyed Ryoma.

"Maybe," the older man replied mockingly. He was teasing, but Sakuno could tell something did not feel right.

Ryoma charged at him, only to be greeted by a kick to the chest and sent skidding across the floor. Sakuno gasped.

"Ryoma, are you okay?" she asked, suddenly finding herself kneeling at his side. Ryoma grunted and struggled to sit up.

"Hey, get off the mat," he said swatting her comforting hands away.

She then turned a glare on Nanjiro. "You're crazy! I can't believe you just kicked your own son like that! What kind of a father are you?!" Tears began to well up, and her vision grew blurry. Nanjiro just ignored her.

"I said get off the mat," Ryoma wheezed. "Don't interfere in a man to man fight." He continued to struggle, but still failed.

"You still don't get it," Nanjiro said, shaking his head.

* * *

AN: I hope this chapter made sense...It did in my head!


	17. Chapter 17

Somehow, Sakuno was convinced to still stay for dinner. Ryoma worked on homework with her while his mother cooked. The smell of fried fish wafted through the air, attracting Ryoma's cat, Karupin.

"Hi kitty," Sakuno cooed as she reached down to scratch behind his ears, and he purred, happily nuzzling against her hand. Sakuno heard the front door open and close down the hall, and a few moments later, an older girl walked tiredly into the living room.

"I'm home," she declared, then spotted Sakuno sitting next to Ryoma at the coffee table. "Oh Ryoma, you brought a friend home. How cute! What's your name?"

"S-Sakuno," she said to the pretty young woman with long black hair. Cute? Sakuno blushed at the implication. It wasn't like that.

"I'm Nanako, Ryoma's cousin," she said sweetly. Then she noticed the cat at the feet of the girl's chair, being lulled off to sleep. "It seems Karupin has taken a liking to you, and he hardly likes anyone. It must be a sign," she giggled.

Sakuno looked down at the feline in wonder. "R-really?"

"The only other person that cat's automatically liked is Ryoma," she said fondly before leaving them to their work. "Well, I'm going to the kitchen to see if Auntie Rinko needs any help."

Dinner was overall a pleasant affair, and Sakuno attempted to forget the scene between father and son that she had witnessed just an hour ago. The food was delicious. Sakuno enjoyed cooking, but there was always something about a meal someone else had caringly cooked for you that warmed her up from head to toe. She learned that Rinko Echizen, Ryoma's mother, was an attorney while Ryoma's father worked by running the dojo and the temple. Nanako was Nanjiro's sister's daughter, and she was lodging with the family to minimize room and board costs while she attended university. She also learned that Ryoma had an older brother studying abroad. They told jokes and laughed at stories from when Ryoma was a toddler trying to hit his father and falling over.

Ryoma was probably secretly just as clumsy as she was.

Sakuno excused herself to the restroom, and Nanjiro volunteered to lead her there. He placed a hand on her back and steered her out of the room. As soon as they were out of earshot, Nanjiro squeezed the girl's shoulder, and said, "About earlier-"

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Echizen," Sakuno interrupted, "I didn't mean to question your parenting. Please forgive me!" She turned to face him and bowed. After letting her stay for dinner and being so hospitable, apologizing was the least she could do.

"No, it's not that," Nanjiro said in surprise. "Actually, you're quite right." Sakuno looked up at him, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I've made mistakes in the past training Ryoma."

"B-but that's not true! Ryoma's a really great fighter," Sakuno argued.

"And that's just it," Nanjiro said. "I've been doing all I can to try and make things right, but he just doesn't understand that martial arts are arts, not just fighting. For art, you need inspiration, and no amount of technique can make up for that. He needs something or someone to fight for. Right now, his only motivation is to beat his enemy, and that's why he's stuck."

"Oh," said Sakuno, suddenly feeling very dejected as she thought of the first time that she met the boy.

"So that's why I had to do what I did," he explained.

For the rest of the night, Sakuno didn't meet Ryoma's eyes, and she walked home alone.

* * *

AN: Wow, this fanfic only has a few more chapters left! Thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing :)


	18. Chapter 18

"Tezuka," Sakuno called the next day, as she ran across the grass to the senior, notebook in hand. "Can you help me with this math problem?"

Tezuka looked at the small girl before him, then at the notebook in her hands, outstretched towards him. Oh how he missed tenth grade mathematics. Being captain of the martial arts club, acting as student council president, and keeping good grades at the same time wasn't as easy as he made it look. The kid was lucky, and she didn't even know it.

Sakuno observed the young man's sandy hair fall over his brown eyes as he adjusted his glasses to inspect the problem - a conic. It fell the same way it did when he used to tutor her in junior high. He would watch her work until she got stuck, and then he'd bend over her papers to see what she had done wrong. Then he'd say in that deep grown-up voice, "You need to complete the square to get the equation, and the graph should come out as a hyperbola," or something like that.

She remembered last year when she'd been studying for her escalator exam, he had helped her. He had been correcting her practice test when she abruptly confessed that she liked him. That night, she'd seen emotion on Kunimitsu Tezuka's face for the first time as he set her paper down on the table. His eyes widened in shock, then softened. He looked at her sadly for a few moments, shook his head, and then said, "Sorry, I don't feel the same way."

Her heart had been pulsing faster than a hummingbird's wings then, before that, and every time she looked at him since. She remembered the tears that sprang to her eyes the minute he left her house - and the aching. She'd felt so miserable cancelling their weekly tutoring sessions, but she couldn't bear continuing them.

Applying to be manager of the martial arts club had been a risk. She'd wanted to do it ever since eighth grade when Tezuka had started the club. He was the one to pique her interest in the arts, but joining would mean having to face him. After careful deliberation with input from her grandmother and her best friend, Tomoka, when applications were due, she had decided to go for it, ready to try again.

"It's supposed to be a semicircle," said Tezuka, interrupting her reverie. "Since x is first, it's going to be sideways."

"Thank you," Sakuno said, taking back her notebook. She looked the upperclassmen directly in the eye, but for some reason, her heart didn't beat any faster.

* * *

AN: Happy birthday Ryoma!


	19. Chapter 19

"Hey, Tomoka, do you like anyone?" Sakuno asked the girl lying next to her on the yellow bedspread.

"That's easy," her friend giggled, a big goofy grin on her face.

"Who," Sakuno asked, staring at the ceiling.

"Promise not to laugh, okay?"

"I won't, I won't," Sakuno promised.

"Horio," Tomoka said offhandedly.

"Really?" Sakuno nearly exclaimed, truly chagrined. "I always thought you liked taller guys like Katsuo or cool guys like Ryoma."

"Usually, but Horio's such an idiot, I can't help but like him," Tomoka gushed, starting to blush.

"I really thought you'd say one of the upperclassmen, like Kaido or someone like that," Sakuno pressed.

"I guess," Tomoka shrugged. "What about you?"

Sakuno paused to think. A few months ago, she would automatically have replied, "Kunimitsu Tezuka," but now she wasn't so sure. The uncertainty made her feel extremely uneasy.

"It's not still that senior boy from your club, is it?" Tomoka asked, turning to show her companion a worried look.

Sakuno furrowed her brow in frustration. "I-I don't know," she trailed off. "Is that bad?"

"No, not at all," Tomoka replied. "Is there," she paused, "someone else?" Images of Ryoma ran through Sakuno's mind - how warm his hands and his chest were, how strong he looked during his forms, how disarming his laugh was.

"I don't know," Sakuno confessed, sitting up to hug her knees.

Tomoka sat up with her and placed a gentle hand on her back. "Just because you liked someone first doesn't mean you have to like them forever," she said knowingly. Tomoka waited for her friend to look up to give her a reassuring hug.

Sakuno smiled.

"You're right," she said, opening the window beside her bed. She then got up and strode over to her wooden desk to pick up a picture frame. She quickly undid the back of the frame and took out a photograph. She moved briskly back to the bed and held the picture out the window. Then, she released it with the wind.

* * *

AN: Sorry if the girls seem a little bit ooc T_T I tried to make it realistic, but I feel like it would be bad for the plot's health if I let Tomoka like Ryoma


	20. Chapter 20

The Sunday morning before the ranking tournament, Sakuno tied her trademark braids a little more carefully than usual. When Ryoma arrived, he had her practice low blocks again. He had his hands resting on tops of her hipbones, fingers ensnaring her pelvis, attempting to assist her in navigating the motion.

"You're knees aren't bent enough, Wobbly Hips," he reproached. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck, making the fine hairs there stand on end. She craned her neck to look down at her stance.

"And now you're off balance again," he chided. He released her and lightly kicked the back of her hind knee. It buckled, and she fell with a loud slap to the mat. "At least you remembered how to fall right."

He then bent down on his knees to meet her eye to amber eye. "But your hair is still too long," he admonished while carelessly tugging on one of her pigtails. The way the light from the window hit his hair while he crouched made it shine like dark jade.

"Ryoma, you're so mean today," she groaned and pouted, expecting him to tease her some more.

Instead, she was met with sad sea green irises.

"Sorry," he said softly before hanging his head to shield his face with his hair, embarrassed by his behavior. He should not have swum in unwelcoming waters. She probably didn't want him to be the one touching her hair or teaching her how to block.

"Oh, i-it's okay," she said, slowly standing up. He followed her lead to his feet, and crossed his arms. She then resumed her short stance to try the block again.

"Not bad," he said, holding up his fingers in an okay sign. Things were back to normal.

"Hey Ryoma," she said lightly as she continued the movement across the floor, "after practice, do you want to do something fun like get ice cream or something?"

Ryoma was more than a little bit taken aback by her invitation. He dropped his crossed arms, and his eyebrows rose. "Um, okay," he said. He was silent after that as he continued to watch her move across the floor, long hair whipping back and forth, back and forth.

"Hey Ryoma," she said again after a few moments. "You were right," she trailed off, "about Tezuka...he is too old for me." For the first time that day, Ryoma grinned.


	21. Chapter 21

On the day of the ranking match, Sakuno was slightly disappointed upon entering the clubroom to be asked by her grandmother to run down to the local convenience store a few blocks away to buys a pack of bottled water. She had been eagerly anticipating club activities since Sunday night. When she stepped through the door as one of the first entrants, she found her eyes involuntarily darting around the room, searching for a certain dark-haired youth. Before she had the chance to wish him well on his upcoming match or even see him come into the room, she was sent away to act as the club water-girl.

Sakuno sighed as she walked through the big, black school gates. It was her duty to take care of all members of the club, not just one. Besides, it was her own grandma who had asked her to run the errand. Who was she to refuse on account of wanting to tell one club member good luck?

She snapped out of her thoughts when a heavy hand took firm grasp of her shoulder. Fear struck her as the fingers drove deep into her collar, and she heard a familiar gruff voice.

"Hey you," said the senior boy grasping her shoulder blade. "You're that little bunny from before." Seigaku was a large enough school that one could easily avoid someone if said someone was not in the same class, but clearly now that was not the case.

Sakuno gulped. The boy had closed in on her, and she could feel his damp breath by her ear. Someone had had curry for lunch.

"We were just about to have fun last time before that snot-nosed brat interrupted us," he said, snaking his arm fully across her shoulders. The weight had her back slump a bit.

"I really h-have to be going somewhere," Sakuno said, trying to inch away from him.

"What was that?" asked the boy sharply.

"P-please, let me go," Sakuno said. "I have an errand to run." She finally worked herself free of his hold. Then he grabbed tightly onto her wrist. She could feel the circulation slowing to a halt. There was a vein pulsing above his left eye, and he really looked like he would hit her.

"Hey, I said no one messes with Sasabe," he said more harshly, gritting his teeth together. His fingernails were starting to make imprints on her wrists. He balled his free hand into a fist and sent it hurdling toward the base of Sakuno's stomach.

Then her body moved of its own accord.

She performed a perfect low block.

Sasabe shook his hand to try and alleviate the pain from the force or impact. He then released her wrist to send his other fist flying high toward her face.

Sakuno inwardly panicked and closed her eyes. Ryoma hadn't taught her a high block yet!

* * *

AN: Hey guys! I've been writing all day, and being sick has never been so good!


	22. Chapter 22

Ryoma tapped his foot impatiently on the mat. Where was she? The ranking tournament had already begun, and he'd defeated the second-year Arai. Meanwhile, Sakuno Ryuzaki was nowhere to be found. He scanned the clubroom once, twice, thrice, four times, and he still hadn't seen her. She was the club manager. It was her duty to be there. Finally, his eyes rested on the club advisor.

He crawled over to her so as to avoid getting caught in the crossfire of one of the current matches, and then poked her shoulder to get her attention for a moment. "Is Sakuno sick?" he asked. She had seemed fine on Sunday, and he had seen her in class earlier in the day. Perhaps she had felt unwell and decided to go home right after class although her reason for choosing today of all days to get sick eluded him.

"No, I just sent her out to get some water," she said while checking her watch, "although she should have returned a while ago." Ryoma frowned. The girl had probably gotten lost just like when they were searching for Momoshiro's house. Or worse, something could have happened like her falling down the stairs. Goodness knew how capable she was of that.

"I'll go get her," Ryoma volunteered, already standing up and brushing his gi off.

"But your match is next," Mrs. Ryuzaki objected.

"It's fine, I'll be quick" Ryoma said, already darting for the door. His teacher sighed in defeat. He was already gone.

Ryoma strode briskly down the hall, pausing momentarily to peek out the window. A birds' eye view to sweep the area would make the search much quicker. From his vantage point, he had a clear view of the big, black front gate.

Juxtaposed to the entrance stood Sakuno. She was being grabbed onto by a slightly familiar-looking boy. He knitted his eyebrow together. They were a little bit too close for comfort, and even from far away, Sakuno did not seem to be enjoying herself.

Ryoma began to run down the stairs. Could the girl even buy a pack of water without getting into some kind of trouble? He shook his head. He needed to run faster. Ryoma sprinted out the building as fast as his lean muscles could carry him. He saw the pair at ground level just as the larger boy tried to hit Sakuno below the belly button.

She blocked. Apparently, she had learned something from those lessons.

Then another punch came hurdling toward her face.

* * *

AN: Just to clear up any confusion about Ryoma's eye color, hazel eyes are due to a combination of Rayleigh scattering and melanin in the iris, so that is why they often seem to shift in color from golden brown to green. Well, there's your daily factoid. Kudos to wikipedia!


	23. Chapter 23

Sakuno felt something push her backwards. She slapped the ground when she fell and rolled to minimize the force of the impact just like Ryoma had taught her. She was relieved to discover that it didn't hurt, even on the pavement. Suddenly, the ground around her seemed shadier, like someone was covering her. She opened her eyes to see Ryoma's back and his hair, windswept and gleaming emerald in the sunlight.

Sasabe was sitting on the ground, gritting his teeth and rubbing his red cheek while Ryoma stood between them.

"Sorry about that. My fist slipped," Ryoma said coolly. Sasabe grunted in pain.

"Not you again," he grumbled loudly. He still recalled the laughter of his classmates when he walked into class on the first day of school with a prominent footprint on his face. He would never live down the shame.

"And who are you?" Ryoma asked nonchalantly.

"I'm Sasabe, damn it!"

"Nope, doesn't ring a bell," Ryoma replied casually. The brat didn't even have the courtesy to remember his name! The teenage delinquent growled some more. "Would you like to have a match?" Ryoma asked.

The boy smirked. Something about that smirk and the way his eyes glinted malevolently made Sasabe shudder inside. His blood ran cold.

"Um, n-no thanks," he said as he struggled to get up. Ryoma stared as the older boy transformed before his eyes, scrambling to his feet, ready to run as far away from campus as possible. Then he turned to Sakuno.

"Ryuzaki, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, getting up on her feet, "what about you?"

"I'm fine." She surveyed his face for any bruises, finding none. He seemed alright, but his eyebrows were knitted tightly together. The corners of his lips were turned downwards.

"The tournament," she yelped, her brown eyes growing to the size of saucers in realization. "It must've already started!"

"It started a while ago," Ryoma said evenly, still frowning.

"Then we have to hurry back," Sakuno said frantically. "If you're late for a match, you'll default!"

"It doesn't matter," he said.

"What?" she exclaimed, "But you went to all the trouble of teaching me this past month just so you could be in the tournament! Of course it matters!"

"It doesn't matter because I'm already late," he said.

"Oh," Sakuno said, feeling very small. "Is it," she asked, "all my fault?"

"It's your double fault," he responded. Sakuno's eyes grew even larger in horror.

"It's fine," he continued, "it wouldn't have mattered even if I'd won if you had gotten hurt." Suddenly, he didn't know what he was saying. "If you had gotten hurt, there would be no point in fighting or even going to club practices."

"What?" Her expression had quickly morphed into one of shock and confusion. Her mind went back to that night at the Echizens' and what Ryoma's father had said. Was she his reason for fighting? He looked so serious right now.

"I like you, Sakuno," Ryoma said. His eyes were glowing bright gold as they bored into hers. Ryoma saw himself reflected in her redwood irises. Sakuno's breathing hitched, and she didn't bother to hide the coloring on her cheeks.

They were both silent for what seemed like an eternity.

Then, "I like you too," she replied with a smile.

"Will you come with me to buy some water?"

"You still have a long ways to go," he said as he twiddled the end of one of her braids between his fingers. He laughed heartily as he pulled her head toward him. She stumbled onto his chest which rumbled even more with laughter. He didn't know what had possessed him to do it - probably the same wicked force that pushed him to confess a few moments prior. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder and bent down to press a kiss to her forehead. "Let's go."

* * *

AN: Merry Christmas! Now, I'm going to bed...I hope this didn't feel too rushed, and I apologize for any plot holes or typos. Just point them out to me, and I will attempt to fix them.


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